The Billionaire's Baby Mama

4

Marina POV

The words coming from his mouth just couldn’t register in my head or perhaps it would be fair to say it just wouldn’t register. He needs me to be his wife and mother of his child, he’s the owner of BCJ incorporated, he can help me get revenge on Charles? I offended him by leaving the money? I could have sworn I explained that part. Wait did he just ask me if I lived under a rock? That’s a bit rude.

He asked me for my name. My name. Why does he really need my name? He can’t be serious, can he? I just stared at him. I opened my mouth a few times trying to say something anything but no words would form. I wanted to tell him off but I just need to tell him my name for now. I don’t know how I managed to get the words out but I was sure I only said them in my head. “Marina, Marina Saint James.” He looked at me as of the world went from gray and dreary to bright and cheerful. He smiled. And I felt my heart leap at that moment. Why I wasn’t sure.

“Great Mari, from this day forward you are going to be my fiancé. We will be married in a week. And living together starting today.”

Did he just give me a nickname? What the hell?! I wasn’t going to stand by and just allow him to drag me along in whatever scheme he may be cooking up. Wait did he say that we’ll be living together too?? Fat chance. I poked him in the chest. I was annoyed no, a better word for it was I was angry. Somewhere I found my courage and my voice to stand up to him. He needed to know I wasn’t going to go along with his whims. Not I said this cat. “Look here Beau Jackson. I will not be marrying you next week, next month or even next year. I don’t know you from Adam. I would be just as crazy as you if I agreed to something so maddening. And let alone live with you? I wasn’t even living with Charles, what makes you think I’ll do as you say? I am not some rag doll you can drag along.”

I looked at him showing the fire that laid deep inside me. Yes, it may have been directed at the wrong person but I had, had enough of people playing me for a fool. I didn’t want to be pitied or the butt of any jokes any longer.

He just stood there and let me do it at that. Which was even the more insane thing a relative stranger would allow someone to do to them. He allowed a complete stranger to poke his chest repeatedly and lash out at him for practically nothing. Yep, I concluded he was in fact insane.

It was right then that the door to my parents’ house opened. Teresa and Charles were walking out holding hands. Ugh, they looked so happy despite me being the miserable one but I didn’t want it to show on the outside. I hated it. I hated it so much. The desire to make them pay welled up inside me again. Forget this man standing in front of me, I want them to know that what they did was wrong and I won’t be affected by it.

Teresa was the first one to notice me. She just had to come over and gloat or maybe she was pretending to care for me. She had this self-righteous smile on her face. To this day I don’t know what I ever did to her that caused her to hurt me to my very spirit. I thought sisters were supposed to have each other’s back. “Marina? Why didn’t you come inside? Who’s your friend?” She just couldn’t help walking up to me. Pestering me about what I was doing and with who. I could see her inspecting Beau like he was merchandise or maybe something else, possibly, to steal away from me. Well not steal he isn’t mine to steal. I hope I made that noticeably clear to him.

Charles joined her; it was like he wanted me to know how much he loved her. He grabbed for her hand again and I watched as his face twisted into a scowl. He knew instantly who was standing in front of me. “So, the two of you know each other, huh? Small world. I was for sure this one didn’t know anyone of importance other than me. How’s it going Beau?”

This bastard really felt he was all important. They really did know each other. I hated that too. Maybe Beau's insanity had rubbed off on me but I couldn’t stop myself. I latched on to his arm and gave my best and most happiest smile. I squeezed his arm against my chest. I didn’t want to give Beau a chance to say anything. “Well of course we do. He’s, my fiancé. We’re getting married next week. So, I should really thank you for what the two of you did yesterday. If it weren’t for your betrayal, I never would have found this most amazing man next to me. And just between us I don’t know why I waited so long to do it. He was amazing.” I lied; I wasn’t sure if he was I barely remember. Just only bits and pieces. And truthfully that was more than enough for now.

Just by looking at me, I could see the disdain on her face. That’s when I realized my loving older sister, who I thought of as my best friend, that spoiled all the time was really a mean-spirited b***h. “What do you mean betrayal? I’ve always loved him. You were just a fling to him. A little bump in the way of our relationship. And now he’s mines. I just took him back from you is all. You can have that lesser man. He’s probably just some actor you paid to make MY Charles jealous. You just happen to find one that knew MY HUSBAND.” I hated how she emphasized my and then the word husband. It made me sick to my stomach.

It looked like Beau had enough of her trying to make me feel small or maybe he picked up on the fact that she made me feel like s**t with her words. He said the only thing he could while being semi polite. “Wow, I can see why Mari didn’t know who I was. Your ignorance shows that you both have lived in such a small bubble. It’s a little sad to be honest. Charles, I would think you would have told your new wife and my fiancé all about me. Shame and we WERE best friends growing up. I’m a but wounded at this.” I scrunched my eyebrows hearing this revelation. They were best friends? Were, he stressed that word. I was curious what happened between them.

I watched Charles look away and squirm. I don’t know how Beau managed to do it but for the first time in three years Charles was nervous and sweating. It was like the man before me, was capable of being afraid of something. All this time I thought he was fearless. I watched as he rubbed the back of his neck, like he was trying to ease the tension away from his body. “Yeah, it just never came up. I mean you have that big business and then there’s me with my relatively small one in comparison just didn’t make sense to bring you up. It would have felt like I was trying to brag. I’m not a braggart. You know me, heh.”

“Yeah, you never once bragged about who you knew, how much money you had, or all the women that wanted you. You just let your money do the talking. And it talked quite frequently. But that sounds oddly similar to bragging or flaunting.” He changed the subject. “Well, we would love to stay and chat. But we have some things to do before we get married. I’ll invite you to the wedding.”

He looked down at me and gave me a smile that would have disarmed even the most frigid woman in the world. Once again, I wanted to melt but in a puddle this time. “We should go. I’ll buy you everything you need since you’re moving into my place today.” He turned and walked away taking me with him. More like dragging me. I could have sworn I told him I wasn’t a rag doll.

I followed behind him like a little puppy. When we got to the car door, I was about to turn around to look at the two of them, just to see what expression they had on their faces but he spoke to me in a whisper. “Don’t look back. It will make you look as if you care about what they did even though you have me.” It was as if he knew what I was thinking. I didn’t like that.

Instead of looking at them I looked at him. For now, I’ll comply with what he wanted. He opened the car door for me and allowed me to get inside. He rounded the back of the car. I guess he wanted to be seen as a gentleman. I thought I saw him wave his hand towards them through the tinted windows before he got in. But I wasn’t sure. I was focused on the man sitting in the driver’s seat for a moment. Once he was inside, I leaned over on the seat. I prepared myself to give in. “I’ll marry you if you help me get revenge on all of them. My parents included. But there’s some conditions.”